Richard Denney has joined London-based indie creative agency St. Luke’s as executive creative director. He will work closely with Alan Young and Julian Vizard across St. Luke’s portfolio of clients–which includes Heineken, Very.co.uk and Aunt Bessie’s–with the aim of Denney leading and running his own accounts as the agency grows. Young, the current ECD, will take on the role of chief creative officer/owner. Vizard is creative partner/owner.
In a career spanning 21 years, including stints at RKCR/Y&R, Saatchi and Saatchi, DDB London, Denney was most recently ECD at MullenLowe London, which was named most effective UK Agency of the Year at the inaugural UK Effies in 2016 and again in 2017. He has also won multiple awards including Golds at Cannes, British Arrows, Creative Circle, Campaign Big Awards, Clios and UK Effie Golds.
"Barbenheimer" was a phenomenon impossible to manufacture. But, more than a year later, that hasn't stopped people from trying to make "Glicked" — or even "Babyratu" — happen.
The counterprogramming of "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" in July 2023 hit a nerve culturally and had the receipts to back it up. Unlike so many things that begin as memes, it transcended its online beginnings. Instead of an either-or, the two movies ultimately complemented and boosted one another at the box office.
And ever since, moviegoers, marketers and meme makers have been trying to recreate that moment, searching the movie release schedule for odd mashups and sending candidates off into the social media void. Most attempts have fizzled (sorry, "Saw Patrol" ).
This weekend is perhaps the closest approximation yet as the Broadway musical adaptation "Wicked" opens Friday against the chest-thumping sword-and-sandals epic "Gladiator II." Two big studio releases (Universal and Paramount), with one-name titles, opposite tones and aesthetics and big blockbuster energy — it was already halfway there before the name game began: "Wickiator," "Wadiator," "Gladwick" and even the eyebrow raising "Gladicked" have all been suggested.
"'Glicked' rolls off the tongue a little bit more," actor Fred Hechinger said at the New York screening of "Gladiator II" this week. "I think we should all band around 'Glicked.' It gets too confusing if you have four or five different names for it."
As with "Barbenheimer," as reductive as it might seem, "Glicked" also has the male/female divide that make the fan art extra silly. One is pink and bright and awash in sparkles, tulle, Broadway bangers and brand tie-ins; The other is all sweat and sand, blood and bulging... Read More
